Jerseys most underrated MC has been submerged in the swamps of his home state for years; never really getting the credit he deserves as a dope artist. Even with the latest release of his mixtape Mood Music Volume 3, Joe Budden has still yet to receive the kudos he rightfully deserves.
DJ Ill Poetic flips the script with ill results on his latest project Joe Budden vs. Portishead MM3rd where he drops Joes acapellas over beats stemming from the infamous British trip-hop pioneers Portisheads latest album Third and some of their previous work.
At first the idea of a rapper rhyming over something other than standard Hip-Hop production may have some heads screwing their faces; but the mood that Joe and Portishead create on this disc will have you bobbing your head and zoning out simultaneously.
Portishead are known for their blunted beats and melancholy lyrics courtesy of lead singer Beth Gibbons haunting voice. Their paranoid, film-noir sound seems to mesh perfectly with Buddens self-depreciating bars on the opener Hiatus where he spits I cry too / I cant cry no more / Believe my own nonsense / I cant cry no more over a paranoid drum break.
On Roll Call Budden amps the anxiety over a frenetic machine gun staccato as he calls out commercial Rap and lets the true Hip-Hop purists know that hes striving to keep Raps Golden Era alive thorough his music: Dont mind me / Last of a dying breed / Wanna take Rap / And take it back to the nineties. The beat definitely isnt classic East Coast; however its next millennium business mixed with Joes hungry, blue collar aesthetic.
Other standout tracks on the tape, which is mixed and layered beautifully by Ill Poetic, are Warfare and Ventilation. Its unfortunate that Joe remains so criminally slept on, and this daring and innovative mixtape is yet another example of how Joey Jumpoff is putting the heat on the Rap game whether you know it or not.
Definitely give this a listen. Just make sure you remember to refill that prozac prescription first, because the mood this mash up creates isnt pretty. Its just plain dope.
Joe Budden
“Dear Diary”
Joe Budden
“Secrets”